The Fast and the Funny: ‘Rally — From Paris to the Pyramids’ Director Details the Animated Racing Adventure

[the_ad id=”3280664″]

Norwegian director Rasmus A. Siversten is no stranger to ambitious, international animated features. He is the man behind Euro crowd pleasers such as Three Robbers and a Lion, Kurt Turns Evil, Captain Sabertooth and the Magic Diamond, Just Super and last year’s eyebrow-raising Spermageddon! His latest project is a movie about an eccentric inventor and his two unlikely friends (a brave magpie and a shy hedgehog) who find themselves competing against a horrible tech billionaire in the legendary Paris-to-the-Pyramids rally in a very special racecar. Siversten discussed his new venture, Rally — From Paris to the Pyramids, which is produced by Qvisten Animation and distributed by Studio 100 Film, in a recent email interview.

“I wanted to make a spectacular racing movie for the whole family starring Norway’s most famous and beloved characters: Solan & Ludvig,” he notes. “Cars, speed, and playful vehicles have always fascinated me, and I know that I share this fascination with many more, both young and old, girls and boys. And in this film our heroes build a cool looking, super-fast, home-made, racing car with loads of hidden features and gadgets. It´s extra interesting when this scruffy gang from rural Norway takes this home-made, clunky, underdog of a car to compete in a car race against a cynical tech billionaire from California!”

Wheels of Glory

Siversten began work in early 2021, fleshing out the main story elements before getting the animation writer Rob Sprackling (Gnomeo & Juliet, The Queen’s Corgi) on board. “I´m very happy that he saw the potential in the concept and that he connected with the story and characters,” says the director. “Even though this is a fast and wild racing film, it is the friendship between the bold magpie Solan and the anxious hedgehog Ludvig that is the true heart of the movie.”

Sprackling built the story around how their bond is tested when they enter the world’s greatest rally. “Knowing the world audiences, Rob also added international aspects, like the film’s villain, electric car manufacturer and billionaire Ellen Busk,” he explains. “To add the local flavor, Norwegian screenwriter Karsten Fullu did a pass on the final script. Rob and Karste’s partnership ensured a blend of humor, local charm and emotional depth.”

The story’s main inspiration came from the Norwegian author and illustrator Kjell Aukrust. “He invented these characters and the Flåklypa [or Pinchcliffe] world,” notes Siversten. “Aukrust was very fond of cars, speed, and inventions. His drawings are an endless inspiration to me and many that works in the creative business in Norway. Who wouldn’t love to animate these cars?”

Another source of inspiration were rip-roaring American movies from the 1970s. “I was also inspired by all the fun-packed car movies I watched as a child — Cannonball Run and Smokey and the Bandit, among others,” Siversten mentions. “I think humor and cars are a good match. Rally — From Paris to the Pyramids is not made to only entertain kids, the film has loads of jokes and relatable themes for the parents (and even grandparents) in the theater. I want the film to work for all ages; therefore, it must also connect emotionally to all ages. The satire and the emotional depth will reach mostly the older audience, the speed and the slapstick will entertain the youngest.”

The film’s animation is produced by Qvisten in Oslo, Norway. “We have about 80 talented artists at our studio here,” says the director. “Everybody is gathered under one roof in one factory of fun creativity. I really believe that there is a huge gain from having a team working physically together over time, gaining experience from film to film, learning from each other, and inspiring each other.”

“I love playing around with different vehicles throughout the movie … At the same time, I´m most proud of the warmer moments in the film, the exploration of friendship, the relatable feelings of love, jealousy and losing your best friend.” 

— Director Rasmus A. Siversten

Siversten says working together at the studio is also very efficient. “We save a lot of money doing it this way,” he notes. “The film also gets so much funnier and looks so much better just because everyone contributes and share ideas daily. This kind of collaboration is harder when a production is chopped up in smaller parts and spread around the world to different studios. At Qvisten, a storyboard-artist can add a missing piece of the story, an animator can incorporate a joke, because everybody is fully committed to the story we are telling. Rally — From Paris to the Pyramids has a steam punkish, caricatured view of the world. The film blends classical cartoony characters with a quirky, semi-realistic setting.”

The helmer describes the overall look of the film as realistic and highly detailed, a heightened world where wild and absurd things happens. “We take the audience on a visual ride,” says Siversten. “The film starts in snowy Norway, then we move on to springtime in Paris, before traveling through the Alps and the green heart of Italy. The race ends in the dry desert of Egypt, passing the Sphinx. It is a long journey, where we can play with known landmarks along the way. The leaning tower of Pisa is being pushed into place by mistake. I bet you didn’t know that the Eiffel Tower has a Lady and the Tramp-like balcony for special guests?”

Siversten loved playing around with different vehicles throughout the movie. “In the race our heroes race against a hypermodern robot-controlled electric car, a wind-powered sail car, a nuclear rocket car, a coal-fueled train car, and even a massive American diesel hot rod — each design adds creativity and humor to the race,” says Siversten. “At the same time, I’m most proud of the warmer moments in the film, the exploration of friendship, the relatable feelings of love, jealousy and losing your best friend.”

The film will be released in Norway on December 25 this year. “This is a great time to launch a family feature,” says the director. “Christmas is the time when families go to the cinema to do something together. It is not every day that a Flåklypa movie hits Norwegian cinemas, and the expectations from the Norwegian audience are high. I´m overly excited! The international sales are managed by Studio 100 Film, with international releases scheduled for 2026.”

Immersive Thrills

The film’s exciting, “you are there” racing scenes proved to be some of the most challenging aspects of the project. “I wanted the racing parts to feel real, immersive, and rough,” says Siversten. “In the film, our inventor hero, Reodor Felgen, has installed a special button that gives our hero car extra speed. I wanted our audience to really feel this change of speed in their stomachs. So, we looked at any racing film we could find for reference and inspiration. It is harder than you think to get good racing scenes, because every shot must create an emotional response in addition to speed and action. The camera position, the cars, the speed, the surroundings, they all play a part in creating great racing — and the shots can look so bad until you get it right.”

In the end, it’s the film’s message about friendship and humility that provide Rally’s emotional heart. “The boastful magpie Solan’s journey shows that ambition and the pursuit of fame are empty compared to the value of having a loyal friend like Ludvig by your side,” the director points out. “The shy and frightened hedgehog Ludvig, in turn, learns that stepping beyond his comfort zone can open the door to new relationships and achievements he never thought possible. Together, they come to realize that love, loyalty and true companionship are far greater rewards than any trophy or victory in a car race!”

Rally — From Paris to the Pyramids opens in Norway on December 25. International sales agency Studio 100 Film will bring the movie to the American Film Market in Los Angeles this week.